Cushion-cap for key-operated machines.



No. 793,462. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

G. W. MUNSON. CUSHION CAP EUR KEY OPERATED MACHINES.

AEI'LIOATTON FILED FEB. 13,1905.

gif l l @a u 9 e 7f E L9 E 7 ""llm" H 8J imunllnimlmml j UNITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

GARRY W. MUNSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MUNSON SUPPLY COMPANY OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWV YORK.

CUSHION-CAP FOR KEY-OPERATED MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 793,462, dated June 2'?, 1905.

Application filed February 13, 1905. Serial No. 245,506.

To all whom it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, GARRY W. MUNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefullmprovements in Oushion-Gaps for Key-Operated Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cushion-keys for type writers and other keyoperated machines, and has for its object to provide a device of this character that will be simple in construction, easy of application, cheap to manufacture, and efficient in operation.

I am aware that heretofore and prior to my present invention various attempts have been made to provide cushion-keys for type-writers and that to a certain limited extent such keys have been put to practical use; but this use has not in any sense been as general as it should be, owing to certain objections existing in the keys as heretofore constructed. One of these objections is that in many instances the keys are too soft and iiexible, allowing too much lost motion during the period of contact by the finger, and this limits the writing speed, which of course is an item of no small importance. Another objection resides in the fact that most of the prior devices are too costly to manufacture to render them practicable. A further objection to somel of the proposed so-called cushion-keys is that they are not adapted for attachment to the ordinary keys of type-writers, but are constructed to be attached to the key-stem only, and these devices have not met with favor in the trade.

It is the purpose of this invention to overcome the above-noted objections, as well as others well known to exist, and to provide a soft cushion-key that will not in any manner interfere with the writing speed of the operator#one that may be quickly applied to the keys of the type-writer without in any manner altering the construction thereof and an article that may be sold at comparatively small cost.

Briefly and generally stated, the invention comprises a sleeve or cap open at both endsand provided intermediate said open ends with an internal transverse wall, projection, or partition which serves both as a rest to support the sleeve or cap upon the key of a typewriter and as a support for the solid-rubber cushion-key, which is inserted and immovably secured within the upper open end of the sleeve or cap, said rubber cushion-key being provided with a letter or character corresponding to the letter or character on the typewriter key.

vIn order to enable others to clearlyunderstand, make, and use my Said invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a cushionkey cap made according to the present invention and shown in position for use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a slightly- 7o modified form of the invention. Fig.v 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of the form of cap shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a further modification. Fig. 7 is alongitudinal section 75 of the form of cap shown in Fig. 6, and Fig.

8 is a sectional view of one form of cushionblock.

Referring to that form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;,of the drawings, the 8o reference-numeral l designates what may be termed a thimble or Lcap having originally a closed end 2. This thimble or cap is made of thin sheet material, preferably japanned or lacquered brass, and the closed end 8 5 2 as well as the upper part of the sides of the cap or thimble are forced or depressed into the lower portion thereof, so as to bring the said closed end about midway of the cap or thimble, where it provides an internal trans- 90 verse wall or partition. The cap as thus formed provides upper and lower pockets 3 and 4, respectively, which are separated by the transverse wall or partition 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The lower pocket 4 is constructed to 95 fit over the ordinary type-writer key 5, and the cap may be retained in position thereon by indentin-g the side wall thereof ator near its lower end, as shown at 6.

In the upper pocket 3 of the cap or thimble IOO is inserted the finger-cushion, which consists f a solid block of rubber 7, having its under face concaved, as at 8, whereby to provide an air-cushion space between the said concaved portion 8 and the wall of the transverse partition 2. In practice I prefer to securely or immovably attach the linger-cushion 7 within its pocket, and one method of accomplishing this is to punch small openings 9 in the side wall of the cap or thimble, whereby to provide points or prongs 10 within the pocket which penetrate and embed themselves in the rubber block, as clearly shown in the drawings. The upper face of the finger-cushion is provided with an inlaid letter or character 12, preferably of soft rubber, which corresponds to the letter or character on the type-writer key. These characters or letters are inlaid in any of the well-known ways commonly employed in inlaying rubber articles with figures or designs of contrasting colors.

In Figs. 3, 4C, and 5 I have shown a slightlymodifed'form of the invention, which, however, has the same general characteristic features present in the form 'just described. In these figures the numeral 13 designates the cap, which is made in the form of a sleeve open at both ends. From the sides of this sleeve, near the lower portion thereof, are stamped or struck a plurality of V-shaped openings 14, the base of each opening lying parallel with a line taken horizontally or transverselythrough the sleeve, and the apex of each opening being located near the lower edge thereof. The prongs 15, from which these V-shaped openings are formed, are forcedinward to provide the internal centrally-arranged transverse partition, wall, or projection which serves as a means for supporting the cap upon the typewriter key and also as a rest for the rubber cushion-block 7. This block is retained or immovably secured in place by means of the penetrating prongs 10, formed as before described.

- In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown still another form of the device embodying the characteristic features of my invention. In this form the sleeve 16 is formed of hard rubber or other suitable composition material, and the internal transverse partition 17 is east integral therewith. This partition may be in the shape of V- shaped prongs, as shown in Fig. 5, or the partition may extend entirely across the sleeve.

From the foregoing it will be seen that each form of device herein shown and described comprises a sleeve or cap open at both ends and provided intermediate said open endswith an internal transverse wall, projection, or partition and a solid-rubber cushion-block bearing a letter or character inserted in the upper open end of the sleeve or cap. The solid-rubber cushion-block may be made of the ordinary soft rubber or of what is known as spongerubber. In case the latter is employed I prefer to make the block in two superposed sections, as shown in Fig. 8, the upper seetion consisting of a relatively thin sheet 18 of ordinary soft rubber having an inlaid letter or character 19, and the lower section 20 made of sponge-rubber. The two sections are cemented together by any suitable cement or they may be joined by vuleanization.

In the drawings I have shown and described all the keys as having letters or characters. It will be understood, of course, that some of the keys-namely, the shift and space keys will not be provided with such characters.

I do not claim herein a cushion cap or block comprising a soft-rubber crown portion and a cellular or sponge rubber base portion-such, for instance, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawing-as such a cushion-cap block forms the broad subject-matter of a copending application filed by me jointly with Thomas Hodgkiss on the 17th day of May, 1905, said application bearing Serial No. 260,7 80.

What I claim is-- 1. In a device of the character described, a sheet-metal sleeve or thimble having a portion or portions thereof bent within the same to provide a transverse partition or projection intermediate the open ends thereof, and a linger-cushion seated in the upper portion of the sleeve or thimble and supported upon said IOO stituting'a support for the cushion and serving as a rest for the sleeve or thimble when the device is placed upon a linger-key.

3. In a device of the character described, a cap consisting of a sleeve or thimble having a portion or portions thereof bent within the same to provide a transverse partition or projection intermediate the open ends of the sleeve or thimble, and a rubber cushion-block inserted in the cap and having one end resting upon said partition or projection.

1. In a device of the character described, a cap consisting of a sleeve or thimble having a portion or portions of the sides thereof eX- tending within the same and providing a centrally-arranged transverse wall or partition, a rubber cushion-block inserted in the upper end of the cap and resting upon said wall'or partition,'and penetrating prongs struck from the body of the cap and embedded in .the cushion-block whereby to retain the same in place. y f' f In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses. GARRY W'. MUNSON.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. PHILLIPS, MARGARET C. NASH.

TIO 

